Karakusevic
Carson Architects and David Chipperfield Architects were appointed by the
Hackney Council Estate Regeneration Team to design two tall residential buildings in Hoxton, East London.

The buildings
form Phase 3 of the Colville Estate Masterplan and accommodate 198 apartments
for private sale which will cross-subsidise the construction of 450 affordable
homes across the new Colville neighbourhood. Karakusevic Carson Architects designed the
masterplan in 2010, and working closely with residents, established the idea of
two tall buildings on a small portion of the site. This enabled the wider site
and replacement homes to be based around streets with medium-rise buildings
ranging from 4-8 storeys.

Residents had
initial concerns and questions over ground floor uses, material
quality, daylight provision and density. We approached the design
process with members of the community through in-depth dialogue, regular presentations using large models and a schedule of varied consultation events including weekend drop-in events, evening workshops,
weekend community fun day events and site visits to precedent buildings across
London. Proposals were also presented and discussed with local Councillors and reviewed by the Hackney
Design Review Panel, who were extremely supportive of the design and the wider
regeneration scheme.

The new 16 and 20 storey buildings mark the corner of Penn St.
and Bridport Place and look onto Shoreditch Park, creating a new route from the park and a unique pedestrian space that filters into the wider neighbourhood. The
buildings are orientated to respect the emerging streetscape and minimise
overlooking and loss of light loss to neighbours. The variation of height and
colour between the two buildings gives each a distinct identity, while a simple
palette of hand-crafted brickwork accentuates their strong architectural
character and silhouette.

The hexagonal footprint provides each of the 198 apartments with
a dual-aspect living room and balcony. The structural frame facilitates
column-free corners providing unobstructed panoramic views of the city, while solid
brick upstands provide privacy to residents and define the strong sculptural
form of the buildings.

The two towers
accommodate a mix of studios, 1 and 2 bed apartments and 3 bed penthouses. On
the first and second floors, studios are combined with 1 and 2 bed units, with
studios facing East/South/West only. Typical floors provide six alternating 1
and 2 bed apartments per floor. Penultimate floors are formed of larger three 3 bed apartments, and top floors provide three 3 bed apartments with access to
private roof terraces. This vertical arrangement and central ‘service zone’
allows services to stack vertically, following the line of the vault to
transfer to the core at ground floor level.

A striking double height vault at ground level provides a generous arrival and café/gallery open to the public. By locating support spaces in the basement, the buildings
have an open quality on all faces to enliven the streetscape and the new public
area. Large glazed screens maximise views through the ground floor and blend
the buildings seamlessly into the landscape, with a continuous landscape of
granite cobbles extending from inside out. The two buildings frame a new public
space with a gentle mound, informal clusters of trees and seating, forming a threshold
between Shoreditch Park and the new Colville neighbourhood.